In view of the current situation in Cuba, measures have been tightened at the points of entry into the national territory. This control has been strengthened in navies, ports and airports to avoid the risk of the introduction and dissemination of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. The use of remote work has been prioritised and, within this, remote working has been prioritised with the aim of containing the spread of the virus and reducing the negative effects of the pandemic on workers’ health and its impact on the economic sphere.
Fiscal Measures
- A bonus is granted for the settlement of payments on account of the Income Tax, consisting of the application of a tax rate of twenty-five per cent (25%), to state-owned enterprises and capital trading companies per cent per cent (100%) cuban, which have affectations arising from COVID-19.
- Deferral of payment of monthly tax dues, activities subject to the simplified regime or on account of Personal Income Tax, Sales and Services Taxes, and the Use of the Workforce and other taxes; as well as the settlement of Personal Income Tax by Affidavit, as applicable.
- Business and budgeted entities are exempt from the payment of the Labour Force Utilisation Tax and the Social Security Contribution for the payment of wage guarantees.
Social Security Measures
- Workers sick from COVID-19 are paid the subsidy for the disease. During hospitalisation they receive 50% of the average salary received by the worker, in the immediate year before the date of the disease; if you are not hospitalised you receive 60% of this average salary.
- The mother, father or family member who has the status of workers, and are in charge of the care of the child who is suspended from school in primary and special education, receive for the first month a wage guarantee equivalent to one percent of the basic wage, and to maintain the suspension, the guarantee is sixty percent.
- Wage guarantees received by workers are not subject to: (a) Personal Income Tax; and the Special Contribution to Social Security, with the exception of those levied per cent equal to one per cent (100%) of the basic wages for workers in the budgeted sector and those hired by employers to work in the foreign investment sector and users and concessionaires of the Mariel Special Development Zone.
Support measures for employees and employers In view of the haltion of work activities, the employer prioritizes the relocation of workers in other activities, inside or outside the entity. In cases where self-employment activity is suspended for reasons associated with COVID-19, the following treatment applies during this period:
- Exempt the taxable taxpayers from payment of all taxes
- Exempt from payment of the monthly tax quota, corresponding to the Simplified Regime workers hired by the holders of these activities.
- Maintain payment of these taxpayers’ Special Social Security Contribution; in this case, its postponement is authorised, without requiring default interest,at the request of the taxpayer.
Constable Implications
- Budgeted units in the health sector independently record the extraordinary costs they incur as part of the creation of conditions to prevent COVID-19 and actions to confront the disease, those linked to the period of quarantine or isolation of people, care for the sick and others related to the protection of the population , enabling or expanding new rooms and premises for patient isolation. The differentiated accounting record of these operations and expenses associated with COVID-19 is carried out according to Cuban financial reporting rules.
- Disaster recovery expenses incurred in the business system associated with COVID-19 can be financed in the period with the resources of the Reserve for Losses and Contingencies, up to their limit.
- In the accounting of these transactions, the Reserve for Losses and Contingencies is released as Financial Income, for the amount of expenses recorded as disaster losses, disaster recovery expenses; in such a way as to quantify the expenses incurred and the amount recorded as income balances the company’s result, up to the total amount of the reservation.
Enterprise Support Due to the health emergency, the company took steps to facilitate the development of the Boards of Directors in virtual sessions, as well as the holding of other meetings. In addition, the government issued transitional regulations related to banking institutions to exempt subjects required from Resolution No. 40 of April 8, 2016 from the Minister President of the Central Bank of Cuba from the presentation of the certification of confirmation of bank statements for April 2020. The financial institutions also suspend the payment of the principal and interest of the financing granted to the following client segments, a period that will be extendable if the country’s epidemiological situation so requires.
- Natural persons with work disruption whose source of income is wages.
- self-employed and any other form of non-state management that their activities are suspended.
- legal persons who fully impede their activity.
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